Will a projected soggy Independence Day mean rain checks for the fireworks? Not for most of the big happenings around Gaston County. Event planners say they’ll delay the start of the show if they have to, but even if it’s late into the night fireworks will light up the sky.

The National Weather Service forecasts both showers and thunderstorms for Wednesday and Thursday. Chances of showers Wednesday will be at 80 percent in the day and 70 percent at night.

Thursday afternoon has a 60 percent of rain, but that chance will drop slightly to 60 percent after the sun goes down.

Already rescheduled

The Gastonia Grizzlies moved their firework show from Tuesday until after Friday night’s game against the Asheboro Copperheads.

All tickets, including the special all you can eat hot dogs, chips, soda and beer tickets will be honored on Friday.

The game starts at 7:30 p.m. at Sims Legion Park.

Today’s events

Cherryville Fire Chief Jeff Cash, who’s organizing Cherryville’s celebrations, said the festival planned for Wednesday will be a wash or go, but the fireworks will be rescheduled if need be.

“We’re praying hard that it’s a go, but we won’t make that decision until right up to it,” Cash said.

Plan B for the fireworks will be Thursday around 9:30 to 10 p.m. in the First Baptist Church parking lot. If it rains Thursday, the show will be Friday evening same time and place.

The decision will be posted on the city’s website and on the fire department’s sign in front of the station.

Fireworks planned at the U.S. Whitewater Center will go on rain or shine on both Wednesday and Thursday. The celebration, Coca-Cola 4thof July Festival, will start at 4 p.m. on both days with live music and fireworks at sundown.

Admission is free, but parking is $5.

Thursday’s events

One of the regions biggest fireworks shows at Gastonia’s Red, White and Freedom festival, will be up to the whim of Mother Nature, Rachel Bagley, city spokeswoman said.

“Our first option is going to be to just do it later,” Bagley said.

If the fireworks were set up earlier and got rained on without having time to dry or if it is raining at the show’s start time of 9:15 p.m. they will wait until it’s clear to shoot them off, Bagley said.

However, if the rain is worse than expected, the show will be rescheduled.

“If, and that’s a big if, it is completely, in all caps, rained out, we probably won’t be the only one,” Bagley said.

With that in mind, the city will reschedule to attach the fireworks onto an already scheduled event.

Page 2 of 2 - The announcement to delay the start of the fireworks or to have to reschedule will be announced at the festival and on Twitter and the city’s website closer to the start time, Bagley said.

Lincolnton’s July 4th celebration on Thursday will go on rain or shine, city officials said. The city is having free children’s activities, a parade, ceremony and fireworks to top it all off at 9:35 p.m. The festivities will start at 6 p.m., followed by the parade at 8 p.m. through downtown Lincolnton, then the ceremony and fireworks display at the Lincolnton High School stadium.

In the past, the festivities have just carried on, but the fireworks have been delayed until the skies clear up, Daphne Ingram with the city of Lincolnton said.

“Sometimes that’s late, but we don’t reschedule”, Ingram said.

Sheriff Alan Cloninger hopes to have the Polie Q. Cloninger Memorial Firework show at Church Street in Dallas on Thursday night too.

“We’ll be watching the weather, but we’re going to be prepared to do it that night,” Cloninger said.

However, if rain does present a problem, they too will postpone until it’s clear or, Clonginger said, there will be talks of having the show on Friday night.

You can reach reporter Lauren Baheri at 704-869-1842 or Twitter.com/lbaheri.

Check GastonGazette.com for news of fireworks cancellations or postponements. Also check our Facebook page and twitter.com/GastonGazette.